Lubricating system for internal-combustion engines



s SHEETSAHEU a.

C. E. SHORT.

LUHHEEATNG SYSTEM FOR'INTERNAL CUMBUSTION ENGNES. mEDMAR. 1.1920.

Feb. 6, 1923.

C. R. SHORT*- LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL CMBUSI'IUN ENGINES.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2K HLED MAR. i, 1920.

Snom/nto@ G CHmLE lHoR-r 1.3 Hozmem I ,y Mi/f Feb. 6, 1923. 1,444,279. c. R. SHQRT.

LUBRICANNG SYSTEM FDR INERNAL COMBUSTIGN ENGINES.

FILED MAH. 1, i920. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

' Fig. 4 figg/ww CHARM@ KHOKT 3&2; l ozmfafap Patented Feb. 6, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES R. SHORT, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL MOTRSVCOiR'PO- RATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A' CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application led March 1 1920. Serial No. 362,258.

ll' 10V all whom it may cmi-cern:

Be it known that l, CHAnLEslt. SHORT, a subject ot' the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Detroit, county of W'ayne, and State of Michigan, have .invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubricating Systems for Internal-Combustion Eni gines, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact, description, such as will enable' others skilled in the ,art to which the invention relates to make and use the same, vreferenceV heilig made therein to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines, and particularly to lubricating Vdevices or systems designed to provide an effective lubrication for the' crank shaft and the valve operating shaft and valve operating mechanism in its entirety, of the internal combustionl engine to which the invention is applied and with which it is used.

'More particularly stated, my invention relates to lubricating devices or systems for use with multiple cylinder internal combustion engines; and the object thereof is to provide an improved lubricating system for accomplishing'the proper lubrication of the Yvalve operating mechanism and other parts of a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine in which the icylinders are arranged at an angle relative to one another, as in the form` or type of engine commonly referred to as the V-type; a circulation of the lubricating` material past the elements to be lubricated being maintained by means of a .suitable pump, and the valve operating or cam shaft of the engine being located wlthin a suitable chamber formed lby the diverging cylinders of the engine and disposed between the lower ends'thereoL'and which shaft is entirely or partially submerged in a body of lubricant contained within said Chamber.

lWith the above and other objects of invention in view my invention consists in the improved lubricatinfv system for multiple cylinder internal com ustion engines of the V-formor type illustrated in the accompanying drawings and hereinafter described and claimed; and in such variations and modications thereof, within the scope of the concluding claims, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which my invention relates.

Referring now to the drawings wherein the preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated:

Figure 1 is a view partly in section and partly'in end elevation showing a multiple cylinder engine of the Vfform or type, the same being providedwith a lubricating system made in accordance with my invention.

Figure Q is a view showing the engine shown in Figure 1 in sect-ion upon a cen- `tral vertical plane extendingr longitudinally Vthereof and the position of which is indlcated by the line 2, 2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 1s a yview showing the engine shown in Figures 1 and 2 upona somewhat in section upon a transverse plane indicated,

by the .line 3, 3, Figure 2, and partly in elevation i ll `igure 4 is a similar view showing the engine as seen from a position to the right of Figure 2, the sectional portion of the same being taken just within the gear case cover, and upon a transverse plane indicated by the line 4, 4, Figure 2. y

Referring now to the drawings, the engine illustrated therein'is made up of two cylinder blocks 5 each provided with a plurality of cylinders 6 and which. cylinder blocks are secured together alon a vertical rentral p ane indicated at 7 an extending.

longitudinally of the engine, as best shown in Figure l. The outer side walls of these cylinder blocks depend some distance below the crank shaft 8 of the engine, as indicated at 9 in Figure 4, thus providing a crank case which is made up of sidewalls disposed substantially parallel with one another and which walls extend for some little distance below the crank shaft of the engine, and end walls integral with the cylinder blocks and which walls support the bearings in which the crank shaft of the engine is rotatable. The open lower end of the crank case thus BCIY ioo

formed is closed by a cover 10 extending throughout substantially the entire length of the engine.

The left-hand ends of the cylinder blocks are provided with enlarged portions formed integrally therewith andwhich are indicated by the reference numerals 1.1` the said enlarged portions upon the two blocks together forming a supporting member or casing to which the housing, not shown, but within which the il wheel of the engine the. usual clutch and ot er elements of the power plant of a vehicle may be located and housed; the said flywheel casing being secured to the end walls l2 ot' the enlarged portions` 11 by means of suitable bolts extending through holes 13 provided in said end walls. It will be appreciated that these enlarged portions are located closely adjacent one end of the engine and that the walls thereof merge with the depending walls 9,

of the cylinder blocks at the leftdiand end of the engine, referring to Figure 2, as the engine illustrated is intended to be used for propelling a motor driven vehicle; altho it may be here stated that my improved lubricating system is capable ot use in and as forming a part of internal combustion en gines generally, and such :is are used for purposes other than tor driving a motor driven vehicle.

The pistons 1l which operate within the cylinders 6 are connected with the crank pins 1:3 ot the crank shait by means of suitable connecting rods 16, as is usual in multiple cylinder internal combustion e11- leines; and the reference numeral 1T designates a valve operating or cam shaft the ends of which are supported in bearings 18 held in place betweenthe meeting surfaces of the cylinder blocks and located one at each end of the engine` and whiehshaft is arranged within and extends longitudinally of a space or chamber 19 formed by the merging of the lower portions ofthe walls of the twotcvlinders blocks, as best shown in Figure lh-"said valve operating shaft being thus located in the crotch or space between the direi-ging series of cylinders of the two cylinder bloeksfand at the lower end of said space.

The merging lower ends of the inner sides or walls of the cylinders of the two blocks thus provide the bottom and side walls of the croteh or chamber within which the valve operating shaft is located, while the upper portion of this chamber is closed by means of walls Q0. see Figure 1, which extend inward trom the inner side walls of the cylinder blocks or of the cylinders formed therein, and terminate close to the central bosses or bearings 21 of a series of valve Operating levers 22; the joints between said inner edges of the walls 20 and the bosses or bearings 21 being sufficiently tight to prevent the splashing ot any considerable quantity ot' oil out ot' the space or chamber 19 and upwardly past said bearings and through said joints. i

The valve operatingr levers 22 are arranged substantially vertically, and as many such levers are provided as may be necessary to operate the inlet and exhaust valves of the severalcylinders ot' the engine. These valve operating levers are supported upon two shafts 23 which lie between the inner free edges of the walls 20 and extend through openings provided in the bosses 2l, and the outer ends of which shafts are supported in bearings Q4 supported between the two cylinder blocks; and the innerends of said s rafts are supported and held in place by arms extending inward beneath said shafts from the walls 20 above referred to, and a cap member :26 engaging the upper portions of said shafts and secured to said walls .U by means of cap screws 27 in the embodiment of my invention illustrated. It will be appreciated, however, that the shafts which support the valve operating levers 22 may be supported from the 'frame or wall of the engine otherwise than as herein explained` and that a single shaft instead of two separate shafts may be used should it be deemed necessary or desirable to do so.

The lower ends ot the valve operating levers 22 are provided with toes 2S which are acted upon by cams 29 properly spaced along the valve operating shaft 17 to thereby impart oscillatory motion to said levers, and the upper ends of said levers are provided vvith toes 30 through which motion is eonnminicated tothe valves 31 of the several engine cylinders; each cylinder being provided with an inlet and with an exhaust valve as will be appreciated. These valves are commonly located in heads 32 formed separate from the cylinder blocks as is usual in engines of the class to which my invention relates, and the` upper end ot' the space between the diverging cylinder blocks is closed by means of a cover plate 33 extending .longitudinally ol' the engine and resting upon ledges 34 formed one upon each cylinder block, said cover plate being shown as held in place by means of a bolt 35 extendingr upward from and the lower end of which is connected with the cap 26 ofthe central bearing provided by the walls 2U for supporting the shafts Q3 which in turn snpport the valve operating levers.

The cover plate 33 thus forms a wall above the valve inechanisrn lol. the engine; and the ends of the space or crotch between the diverging cylinders within which the entire valve mechanism is located are closed by separablecover plates 36 the side edges of which overlie oppositely disposedledges 37 formed adiacent the ends of the. cylinder blocks. These end cover plates are secured llO ` overlie the ends of .the valve der blocks which the edges -of said d 40, 41 and` an intermediate idler gear 42 through which motion is communicated from one' of said. gears to the other; all of said g'ears being located Within i a closed chamber provided b a cover plate 43 which is secured to the en walls of the lower portions .of the two cylinder blocks by means of cap screws 44.v I

Thecover plate 10 which closes the lower end of the crank case obviously prevents the escape of oil lfrom the same, and the oil .'which reaches the crank case collects in the I lower portion thereof, or inl a ,sump provided in the said coverv platel, andl is pumped by a rotary or other' type of pump 45 from the crank case and up `into the chamber 19 i between the diverging cylinders through a dischargev conduit 46, and discharged into saidl chamber preferably through, a stand pipe 47 located within said chamber; Said conduit preferably extending through' the adjacent main bearing for the crank shaft of the engineto thereby accomplish the ln .brication f said bearing incidental to the supply o lubricant'to the cli-amber -19 in which the valve operating shaft is located, as best shown in Figure 3. Such conduit, however, may lead from the 'pump 45 directly intoA the chamber 19 should Asuch an arrangement be deemed preferable.

The pump 45 is operated from t e valve operating-,shaft 17 through a vertic l pump operating shaft 48 operatively c nnected with said pump, and spiral gears 49, 50, one upon the said valve operating Shaft and the other upon asleeve 51 which rotates upon a tubular bearing 52 extending upward from the wall of the engine and which sleeve is 'operatively connected with the said shaft 48 through a cross-pin 53 extending through openings in said sleeve and in said shaft. This sleeve is also provided with an upward extension which opera-tes the distributor or other auxiliary element or device of the'en gine which feature, however, is not involved in this present application.

The lubricant supplied by the. pump 45 to the chamber 19 is intended to fill said chain ber up to about the level of the upper discharge end of the stand pipe extension 47 of the supply conduit 46, so that the valve operating shaft 17 will be submerged in a lubricant Within said chamber in the pie ferred embodiment of my invention illusuned. The'iubricani Supplied a, said 1u1 bricaiit containing .chamber Hows ont therefrom after the chamber is sufficiently full through a stand pipe 54 -the inlet -end of which is at about -the same level as'the discharge end of the Stand pipe stand pipe communicates with an outlet and return conduit 55 the lower discharge lend' 56 of which terminates adjacent the two to one gearing within the casing 43, to thereby accomplish a lubrication ,Y of the gears through which the valve operating shaft 17 is opera-ted. The lubricant thus supplied to the interior of thefgear casing mayA liow out therefrom through an opening provided at the lower endof said casing, or through an opening provided'abov'e the lower end of saidcasingand in the end 'wall 58 ofthe crank case of the'engine; the said lubricating material in either case finding its way back into the crank case of'the engine to be again pumped therefrom by the pump 45, thus maintaining'a continuous circulation of lubricant through the system and' tothe parts ofthe engine to be lubricated. i

In view of the premises it willibe appre-Y ciated that my improved` lubricating 'system 47, and 4which is one in which the valveoperating shaft I of the engine will be' submerged in a body of lubricant, thus providingcopiou's'lubifi-- cation for the wearing surfacesbetween the,

valve operating cams and the toes fat the lower ends of the valve operating levers at which an eizcessive'amount'4 of frictionoccursin .the ordinary operationof internal combustion engine valves. At thevsame time there-will be a sufficient surging or' splashing;

of the lubricant within the chamber19 t0 provide adequate lubrication 4for the'vbearings-between the bosses21 of the valve op,-

erating levers'and the shaft orshats' 23 whereby they are silpported',"while at the Sametime the inwardly extending walls 2O will. prevent the passage of any considerable quantity of lubricant upward-and beyond the points of pivotal support of the valve operating levers. Incidentally, andduringv the return of the lubricating material from.

the chamber 1'9 to the crank case,'the lubricating material passes through the chamber within which the gearing which operates the valve operating Shaft is located, thu againproviding copious lubrication lfor nother group of elements of the engine in which an inordinate amount of friction is commonly present. Finally, the operating means for the oil pump is built i'nto one ofthe cylinder blocks and is located Within a chamber provided therein for it in such a way as to brefiectii-ely housed, and the gears which drive the. pump operating shaft are lubricated h v lubricant which finds its way out from the chamber i9; while'the entire valve operating mechanism is enclosed within a dustproof Casing formed by the top cover to permit access to the valve operating mechanism should it become necessary or desirable to do so. v

Having thus described andr explained my invention, I claim` anddesire to secure by Letters Patent:v i

1. In a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine, two lcylinder blocks arranged at an angle to one another and having each a plurality of cylinders; a lubricant containin chamber located between said blocks an adjacent the lower ends of said cylinders; a rotatable valve operating shaft locatedliwithinvsaid chamber; a plurality off oscillating valve o erating levers `located between said cylin er blocks and pivotally supported adjacent the upper end of said chamber, and which levers are operated by cams uporrsaid cam shaft; a

pump; a lubricant supply condut'leading from said pumptoand discharging into said lubricant containing chamber above the bottom thereof; gearing throughwhich said valve o erating shaft is operated from the crank sli i leading from said chamber above the lower end thereof so as to maintain aconstant body of oil within the same, and which conduit discharges onto the gearing' aforesaid; and means for driving said pump.

2. In a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine, twoseparate and'independent cylinder blocks arranged at an angle t'o one another and'secured together along a joint lying in a vertical plane extending longitudinally of the engine; a lubricant contaming chamber located 4between' said blocks and adjacent the lower ends of said cylinders; a rotating valve operating shaft located within said chamber; gearing whereby said shaftV isdriven; a vertically arranged pump operating shaft rotatable in a bearingin one of said cylinder blocks; aring betweenrsaid valve operating sha t and said pump operating shaft and through which the latter is driven; a pump operated by said punp operating shaft and adapted to force lubricant into the lubricant containing chamber aforesaid; a return-conduit leading from said lubricant containing chamber and through which lubricant is supplied to said first mentioned gearing; and a plurality of oscillating valve operating levers located between said-cylinder blocks and operated by cams on said valve operating shaft.

3Y In a multiple cylinder internal Acoml bustion engine; two separate and independent cylinder blocks arranged at an :ingle to one another and having each a pluralitv of cylinders and which blocks are secured together along a joint lying in a vertical plane extending longitudinally of 'to one another and connected to aft of theeng'ine; an outlet conduitA the engine; a lubricant containing chamber located between saidblocks and adjacent the lower ends of said cylinders; a.r`otating valve operating shaft located within said chamber; a vertically extending pump operating shaft the upper end of which extends into a chamber provided in'one of said cylinder blocks; gear-ing located within said last mentioned chamber and through which said pump operating shaft is operated from said valve operatingshaft; a plurality of oscillating valve operating levers located between said cylinder blocks and operated by cams up'on said valve operating shaft; a pump operated by said pump operating shaft: a conduit leading from said pump and discharging into'the lubricant containing chamber aforesaid; and a return conduit leading from said lubricant containing chamber to the crank caseof the engine.

4. In a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine having two separately formed cylinder blocks arranged at an angle theralong a verticallly)Y arranged joint to t ereby provide `a lu ricant containing-chamber between said blocks and adjacent the lower ends of the cylinders-Within the same, and a crank case below theloiver ends of said cylinders and within. which the crank shaft of the engine is.supported in suitable bearings; a rotatable valve. operating cam shaftlocated within the chamber aforesaid; means for driving said cam shaft from the crankshaft ofthe engine; aiplurality of v'alve operating inembersrlocated between said cylinder blocksand operated by-camsupon said cam shaft; a pump soA arranged as to derive its supply 4of lubri-- cant from-the interior o f said crank case; 'a dischargeconduit leading from said pump and disc arging into said lubricant containingvehamber; a return conduit leading from said chamber and through Vwhich lubricuntflows on its return to the interior of the crank case ofthe en `ne;. and means assembled with one of sai cylinder blocks for operating saidpump.

4cams upon said valve operating shaft; a

pump; an operating shaft supported in hearings in one of said cylinder blocks and adapted to drive said pump; gearing whereh v said pump shaft is driven from said am shaft; a lubricant supply conduit leading fromsaid pump and discharging into said lubricant containin chamber; and an Voutlet conduit leading rom said lubricant containing chamber.

6. In a multiple cylinderinternal com-` bustion engine two cylinder blocks arranged at an angle to one another; a lubricant --con-l taining chamber located between 'siid blocks and adjacent the lower 'ends- 0f said cylinders; a rotatable -valve operating shaft lo.

tween said cylinder 'blocks and operatedby cams upon said valve operatinglhaft; walls extending inwardgone from-each ofsaidcylinder blocks, and which'w'a'lls terminate; adjacentthepoints of pivotal. support of said valve operating leverspandmeans -fer supplying lubricant to the interior of sald lubricant containing chamber.

y In a multiple cylinder 'i bustion engine', two cylinder blocks arranged a'plurality of cylinders; avlubric'ant contain- ,ing chamber located between said blocks and adJacent the lower ends of'saidcylinders; a.

rotating valve operating shaft located within said lubricant containing-chamber;two-.walls extending inward one' from each of Vsaid c linder blocks, and the inner'ends of which are spaced apart from one another; a sus; porting shaft located adjacentthe inner en of said walls aridr between the same; Ia plurality of'oscillatin valve operating levers supported upon said supporting:shvalt.and`

which levers are operated by cams upon V.said valve operating shaft; and means for supplying lubricant to the interior of said 1ubricant containing chamber.

84 In a multiple cylinder. internal coin bustion engine, two cylinder blocks arranged y at an angle to one another and having each a plurality of cylinders; a lubricant containing chamber arranged betweensaid blocks and adjacent the lower ends of said cylinders; a rotating valve operating'shaft located within said chamber; two walls ex,- tending inwardly one from each ofsaid cylinder blocks, and the inner ends of which walls are spaced apart from one another; a supporting shaft located between the free inner ends of said walls; a plurality of oscil lating valve operating levers arranged between said cylinder blocks and which levers are supported by saidshaft, and have depending portions which are engaged. by cams upon said valve operating shaft; arms carried by said walls and extending lbenea'tli and adapted to support' said supporting shaft; a cap secured to said walls and engaging said supporting shafts to thereby hold the same in place: and means for supplying lubricant to the interior of said lubricant containing chamber.

Y taininig and a jacent the lower ends of said cylinders ntelfnal N 9. In a .multiple c linder internal com- .bustionengine, two cy inder blocks arranged at' an angle to one another; a lubricant con chamber located between said blocks a rbtatin valve operating shaft located within sald chamberfa plurality of oscillating valve operatiggslevers disposed between said cylinder bloc y and operated by cams upon sai'd valve operating shaft; means for lubricant to said lubricant con- .ly 'tailiilingmamben" a top cover plate located betweenV 'saidlcylinder blocks vand adapted 'to' close' the upper end of the space between said blocks; and .end cover -plates secured to said cylinderV blocks and adapted to close 'the ends of the ace between said blocks.

` 10. In amultlple cylinder internal corn- Abustimi engine, tw'ocylinder blocks arranged at angangle4 to one another and having each `a plilralityt'pf c linders'; a lubricant ntain` fing cham r isposed between said blocks 4 o l .andf adjacent the lower endsvof said cylinat an'angle to one another a'nd'having each: 4

ders; 'a' rotating valve operating shaft lo- 4cabedwithin said chamber; a supporting shaft located above said valve operating shaft; a plurality of oscillating valve operating levers arranged between said cylinders and operated each bya cam upon said valve operating shaft; means for supplying a lubricant -to said lubricant containing chamber; cover plates Vlocated one at each end of athespace between said cylinder blocks, and

which plates are detachably secured to said .blocks and thel lower ends of which overlie the ends of said supporting shaft; and a top cover plate adapted to close' the upper end ofthe space between said blocks.

1'1. In a multiple cylinder internal combustion' engine, `two cylinder blocks ar- 105 .rangedz at an angle to one another; a lubricant containing chamber disposed between said blocks and adjacent the lower ends of "said cylinders; Ya rotating valve operating Shaft located Within said chamber; a. sup- "porting shaft located'above said valve operating shaft; a plurality of oscillating valve operating levers arranged between said cylinders and operated each by a cam upon said valve operating shaft; means for sup- 115 plyinga lubricant to said lubricant contain ing chamber; and cover plates located one at each end of thespace between said cyl- 1 inder blocks, and which plates are detachchamber and through which gearing said valve operating shaft is operated from the 'said last mentioned chamber into the crank case of the engine. V y

13. In a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine, two cylinder blocks arranged at an angle to one another-ya lubricant containing chamber located between said blocks and adjacent the lower ends of said cylinders; a rotating| valve operating shaft located within said lubricant containing chamber: a plurality of valve operating members located between 4said blocksand opadjacent `to one another and forming between the Walls thereof a chamber for lubricants; and means Whereby'lubricant may be supplied'to said chamber,-said lubricant chamber being formed partly in one and partly in the' other of said. cylinder blocks.

15. In a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine, a plurality of cylinder blocks arranged `to form therebetween a lubricant chamber, a valve-operating shaft mounted to rotate in Asaid chamber, a plurality of oscillating valve-operating levers having their bearings in the top wall of said chamber and arranged to belubricated by the lubricant in Said chamber, and means for maintaining al constant level of lubricant in said I chamber.

16. In 'a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine, tw'o cylinder blocks arranged adjacent-to one another and having their Walls connected to form a lubricant chamber, Y

transverse Walfls extending toward each other from the sides of said blocks to form the top ofthe chamber, a valve-operating shaft mounted to rotate in said chamber,

vaflve operating levers having their bearings crated by cams upon said valve operating shaft; a pump so arranged as to deriveits supply of lubricant from the interior of the crank case of the engine; a lubricant sup.-

ply conduit leading from said pump through one of the bearings in which the crank shaft of the engine is supported, and which conduit extends to and discharges into said lubricant containing chamber; an outlet conduit leading4 from said lubricant containing chamber from a point vabove the bottom thereof 4and through which lubricant `flows on its return to the interior of the crank case ofthe engine; and means for opera-ting said pump.

14. In a multiple cylinder internal -comhustion engine, two cylinder blocks arranged intermediate Vol. (said transverse walls and means for maintaining a supply of lubricant in said chamber.

17. In a multiple cylinder internal cornbustion engine two cylinder blocks, a lubri- 4cant chamber intermediate of the said hlo'cks and formed partly in one and partly in the other o f them. a valve-operating Vsha ft mounted to rotate in said chamber, means for driving Sai-d shaft from the engine shaft, means foi' maintaining a body of lubricant in said chamber, 4and vmeans for feeding lubricant from said chamber to the said driving' means.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHAS. R. SHORT. 

